Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether groomed children have been placed on the sex offenders register.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Baroness Casey's Audit signalled concerns that victims of child sexual exploitation have been unjustly criminalised and treated as perpetrators for actions taken whilst under the coercion of groomers. As an immediate first step, we will legislate in the Crime and Policing Bill to introduce a disregard scheme for individuals who as children were convicted or cautioned for the offence of loitering or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution. We will work with relevant bodies across the criminal justice system to ensure any such cases are identified, reviewed and that victims are properly supported.
The notification requirements for sex offenders (often referred to as "the sex offenders' register") are an automatic consequence of a conviction or caution for an offence in Schedule 3 to the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Offenders subject to the notification requirements must notify their personal details (e.g., their name(s), address(es) and national insurance number) to the police annually or whenever their details change. The notification requirements apply to adult and juvenile offenders, although their duration is halved for juveniles.
The offence of loitering or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution has never been in Schedule 3 to the 2003 Act, so convictions or cautions for that offence have not triggered the notification requirements for sex offenders.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Government's response to Recommendation 3 of the report entitled National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, published on 16 June 2025, what her planned timetable is for introducing a disregard for convictions of people who were (a) groomed and (b) convicted of prostitution as children.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government has announced its intention to implement a disregard scheme for convictions and cautions issued to under 18s for the offence of persistently loitering or soliciting in a street or public place for the purpose of prostitution (Section 1 of Street Offences Act, 1959).
Any individual who has received convictions or cautions while under 18 for this offence will be able to apply to the scheme, regardless of whether they have been a victim of ‘grooming’ or ‘group-based child sexual exploitation’.
This reflects the Government’s belief that any procurement of sex from an individual aged under 18 is sexual exploitation of children.
The Government is collaborating now with relevant authorities to determine the implementation timeframe for this scheme and will announce this in due course.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that children who experience child sexual abuse feel more confident (a) to report that abuse and (b) that all reports will be listened to and taken seriously.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Through the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government is legislating to introduce a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse for those undertaking regulated activity with children in England.
It will ensure that the words of children who are seeking help are heard, and it will provide much-needed clarity for those working with young people on how to respond appropriately when faced with these concerns. It will also apply the strongest possible measures to anyone who seeks to cover up abuse of this kind.
The introduction of this measure will be an important moment for young people who do not speak out because of fears they would not be listened to – a mandatory duty to report means they can speak to trusted adults with confidence on the next steps that will be taken.
Since 2016, the Home Office has also funded the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (‘CSA Centre’) to improve understanding of the scale and nature of child sexual abuse, and strengthen the ability of professionals to identify and respond effectively to it through the provision of evidence-based training and practice resources. The CSA Centre supports professionals across policing, justice, children’s services, education, health and the third-sector.
Its resources include a ‘Signs and Indicators’ template, which supports professionals in recording and communicating their concerns about possible child sexual abuse and a ‘Communicating with Children’ guide, which provides guidance on how to talk to children about child sexual abuse, and what professionals can do to help children communicate what is happening.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) firearm and (a) shotgun certificates have been issued to people who had previously faced allegations of domestic abuse.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Firearms Act 1968 gives responsibility for the issuing of firearms certificates to Chief Officers of Police.
The Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing, issued by the Secretary of State, makes it clear that any allegations of domestic abuse concerning a firearms certificate applicant must be taken extremely seriously. Any evidence of domestic abuse will mean that the application is usually refused, or the existing certificate revoked.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) firearms and (b) shotgun certificate (i) applications and (ii) renewals were completed in (A) York and (B) North Yorkshire in the latest 12 month period for which data is available.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of firearms and shotgun certificates that have been granted, refused or revoked by police forces in the Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates publication. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:
Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates: April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV. UK (www.gov.uk).
The number of firearms and shotgun certificate applications and renewal applications that were completed (either granted or refused), and the number of firearm and shotgun certificates that were revoked in the Yorkshire and the Humber region in the 12 months to March 2024 can be found in data tables 2 and 4.
Within the Yorkshire and Humber region, data are available for Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
Data for the year ending 31 March 2025 will be released between June and July 2025: Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2024 to March 2025 - Accredited official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) firearms and (b) shotgun certificate certificates were revoked in (i) York and (ii) North Yorkshire in the latest 12 month period for which data is available.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of firearms and shotgun certificates that have been granted, refused or revoked by police forces in the Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates publication. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:
Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates: April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV. UK (www.gov.uk).
The number of firearms and shotgun certificate applications and renewal applications that were completed (either granted or refused), and the number of firearm and shotgun certificates that were revoked in the Yorkshire and the Humber region in the 12 months to March 2024 can be found in data tables 2 and 4.
Within the Yorkshire and Humber region, data are available for Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
Data for the year ending 31 March 2025 will be released between June and July 2025: Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2024 to March 2025 - Accredited official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the non-criminal reasons are that could be lead to a person claiming asylum being deported.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
An asylum seeker whose claim is unsuccessful and has exhausted any appeal rights will be liable for removal where they have no permission to remain in the UK. A person may also be deported on the ground that it is conducive to the public good, which can for example participating in a sham marriage.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place a limit on the period of time that someone can remain in a short-term hold facility.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
There are already time limits on detention in short-term holding facilities.
Section 147 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 defines a short-term holding facility as a place where a detained person may be detained for not more than 7 days, or such other period as may be prescribed.
Subparagraph 4 of the Immigration (Places of Detention) Direction 2021 provides that detention in a residential short-term holding facility shall not continue beyond a normal maximum of 5 days unless the person concerned is to be removed from the UK within the next 2 days, in which case their detention at the short term holding facility may continue for no more than a further 2 days, up to an absolute maximum of 7 days.
Rule 6 of the Short-term Holding Facility Rules 2018 limits periods of detention in non-residential short-term holding facilities (holding rooms) to a normal maximum of 24 hours, though this is extendable beyond that point in exceptional circumstances.
The Short-term Holding Facility (Amendment) Rules 2022 amended the 2018 rules to create as a third category of short-term holding facility, known as a residential holding room. Rule 2 limits detention in a residential holding room to not more than 96 hours unless a longer period is authorised by the Secretary of State.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of enabling Ukrainian refugees who are living in the UK to obtain the right to remain.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This Government stands with Ukraine and is committed to providing stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and those who still need our sanctuary.
To provide certainty to those who have been provided with temporary sanctuary in the UK under the existing Ukraine schemes, the Government has introduced a bespoke Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025. This scheme allows those with existing sanctuary to apply for a further 18 months' permission to remain in the UK with the same rights and entitlements as they have been given under the existing Ukraine schemes.
The Ukrainian Government has been clear about its strong desire for the future return of its citizens to help rebuild Ukraine when it is safe to do so. It is important that our approach respects these wishes.
We will, of course, continue to keep the Ukraine schemes under review in line with developments in Ukraine.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to enter the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Those individuals who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
Information on the UK’s safe and legal routes is published on gov.uk.